Rotary vane machine



1966 K. EICKMANN 3,263,621

ROTARY VANE MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 196.2 2 Sheets Sheet 1 IN VENT OR L Q- L B g 1,4444! J :f/ %er ATTORNEY A11g- 1966 K. EICKMANN 3,263,621

I ROTARY VANE MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INV ENT OR alm/6 f {67 2/- ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,263,621 ROTARY VANE MACHINE Karl Eickmann, 2420 Isshiki Hayama-machi, Miuragnn, Kanagawa-ken, Japan Filed Oct. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 232,113 Claims priority, application Germany, Nov. 10, 1961, E 21,937 15 Claims. (Cl. 103136) The present invention relates to a rotary vane machine which may be liquidor gas-driven, such as particularly a hydraulic or pneumatic pump, compressor, or motor, or an internal combustion engine, and it is the principal object of the invention to provide such a machine with very simple but effective vanes which are slidably mounted in slots which are provided in the ma- Chine rotor which comprises a central rotor part and a pair of side walls which .are rotatable therewith.

A further object of the invention is to design and arrange each vane of such a machine in such a manner that the pressures acting thereon will be substantially balanced so that a stable operation at a very low friction of the vanes will be attained which permits the machine to operate under very high pressures.

More particularly, the invention relates to rotary vane machines of the type in which the central part of the rotor as well as a pair of opposite side walls thereof which are rotatable with the central part and are secured thereto either integrally or, for example, by means of flanges are provided with radially or almost radially extending slots in which at least one axial longitudinal wall of each slot for-ms a plane gliding surface which extends along the axial length of the central rotor part and at least along the largest part of the slots in the rotor side walls, and in which each of the vanes which are slidable substantially radially toward the inside and outside of the rotor and its side walls is provided with a plane bearing surface which is in a tightly sealing engagement with the mentioned gliding surface of the slot wall.

The prior art discloses vanes for rotary vane machines which are provided with vane skids which are longitudinally supported thereon. Although vanes with such skids have proved very successful, their production involves considerable difficulties and is therefore expensive.

Although vanes for such machines in the form of simple plates have also already been disclosed, these vanes are not mounted in slots in side walls of a rotor but only in the slots of the rotor itself which only extends along the length of the work chambers. These vanes must therefore be perfectly plane and very accurately fitting into the rotor slots. Since they are not guided in slots in side walls of the rotor, they have the tendency to tilt when acted upon by the forces of the medium in the work chambers and especially by those acting tangentially on the vanes. Therefore, such vanes cannot be subjected to very high pressures and the friction produced by them is very high.

The present invention, however, permits the production of very simple vanes which will operate properly even under very high pressures which is especially due to the fact that they are guided in slots in the rotor side walls.

Furthermore, these vanes are designed so as to be balanced radially or also tangentially by the action of pressure media. The new vanes have therefore the advantage of being very stably mounted without being able to tilt, of sealing the Work chambers very tightly relatively to each other, of incurring very small frictional losses, and of being very easily and inexpensively produced.

An important feature of the invention consists in pro- Patented August 2, 1966 viding each vane with a surface which limits the vane in the radially outward direction and extends in a straight direction along its entire axial length, that is, the length of the central part of the rotor which corresponds to the axial length of the Work chambers and also the axial length of the rotor side walls, as seen in a front View of the vane. Another important feature of the invention consists in designing the vanes so as to be slidab-le only With a linear engagement along the radially inner surface of a housing part forming an annular casing surrounding the rotor.

Further features of the invention relate to the particular arrangement of pressure-balancing areas on the vane and to additional means and arrangements which will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the accompanying drawings of several preferred embodiments of the invention.

The invention is also applicable to machines in which the changes in volume of the work chambers which occur during each revolution of the rotor are either adjustable or nonadjustable. The vanes according to the invention may also be employed either in machines which are provided with stationary annular housing parts or casings around the work chambers or in machines in which the work chambers between the rotor, the rotor side walls, and the v-anes are radially surrounded by a casing ring which is also rotatable.

The invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings of several preferred embodiments thereof, in which those parts which are intended for the same purposes are indicated by the same reference numerals, while all those parts of the machine which are not required in order to understand the invention or which are of a known design are either omitted or merely indicated diagrammatically, and in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2, respectively, show a front view and an end view of the vane according to the invention;

FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively, show a front view and an end view of a vane according to a modification of the invention;

FIGURES 5 and 6, respectively, show a front View and an end view of a vane according to a further modification of the invention;

FIGURE 7 shows a cross section which is taken along line VII-VII in FIGURE. 8 of a rotary vane machine in which a vane according to FIGURES 5 and 6 is installed; while FIGURE 8 shows a cross section which is taken along line VIII--VIII in FIGURE 7.

In the embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2, vane 1 consists of a simple flat plate which is provided with a plane bearing surface 10 which extends along the entire length of the vane. If the vane consists of metal, the plane bearing surface 10 is preferably ground, lapped, or accurately finished in any other manner. A second surface 11 which extends, for example, parallel to the surface 10 may also be finished to form a plane bearing surface or it may be left unfinished, depending upon the use of the vane in the particular rotary vane machine.

Vane 10 consists of a central part 2 and the two axial extensions 3 and 4 at the opposite ends thereof. On the vane itself there is nothing to indicate the points where the central part of the vane ends and the vane extensions begin or at least there is no need that these points are apparent since the entire vane consists of one piece. However, by subdividing the vane into a central part 2 and axial vane extensions 3 and 4 it becomes evident that the central vane part 2 is located within the rotor as such, that is, in the central rotor part of the machine which extends along the axial length of the work chambers, while the axial vane extensions 3 and 4 are located within the rotor side walls. This subdivision of the vane also applies to the vanes 1 as shown in FIGURES 3 to 6.

In FIGURES 3 and 4, the vane as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2 is provided with beveled edges 5 and 6. When the rotary vane machine is assembled, these beveled edges define chambers which form pressure areas when a pressure medium enters therein. The beveled edge 5 is preferably provided on the side of each vane which, when the latter is installed in the machine, faces radially in the outward direction, whereas the beveled edges 6 are located at the axial ends of vane 1.

In FIGURES 5 and 6, the vane according to FIGURES 1 and 2 is provided in all of its edges with grooves 7 and 8 which are adapted to serve as pressure areas. Some of these grooves or pressure areas may also be omitted partly or entirely or the same vane may be provided with pressure areas which are formed by beveled edges according to FIGURES 3 and 4 in combination with or in addition to pressure areas which are formed by grooves as shown in FIGURES 5 and 6. These modifications are not specifically illustrated in the drawings as they would be obvious to a person familiar with the art.

The arrangement and manner of installation of the vanes according to the invention in a rotary vane machine and the functions which are carried out by the individual vane elements are illustrated in FIGURES 7 and 8.

The rotary vane machine which is shown merely for example and may be of any other type comprises a stationary housing 12 in which a rotor is rotatably mounted which consists of the central part 16, i.e., the actual rotor, and the rotor side walls 18 and 19 which are rigidly secured to the central part. The rotor is driven by a shaft 13 which is mounted in bearings 15 and sealed toward the outside by a packing 14. If the machine operates, however, as an engine, shaft 13 will be driven by the rotor. The rotor and the shaft 13 may be coupled with each other, for example, by a jaw clutch 41 which connects the shaft to the rotor side walls. They may, however, also be connected to each other in any other suitable manner, for example, by making the shaft 13 and the rotor or its central parts 16 integral with each other.

FIGURE 7 further illustrates the manner in which shaft 13 is mounted by means of its extension 39 in the bearing 15 in the other end of the machine. The rotor is provided with a central bore 38 through which the shaft extension 39 is'inserted with adequate play which prevents any eccentricity in the rotation of the shaft or any undesired external forces which may act upon the shaft from being transmitted to the rotor. The rotor itself is surrounded by and rotatably mounted in the housing part 17 which forms an annular casing which radially encloses the work chambers, and it is centered therein between the opposite surfaces 33. The inner surface of this casing 17 is made in the usual manner of such a shape that the work chambers 24 and will be formed between the rotor, its side walls, and this casing 17. As shown in the drawings, these work chambers may be disposed diametrically of the .rotor so that the low-pressure zones and two high-pressure zones will be built up diametriaclly opposite to each other around the rotor. The work chambers may, however, also be arranged so that only one low-pressure and one high-pressure zone or a larger number of opposite zones will be formed.

The central rotor part 16 and the inner rotor side walls 18 and 19 which are rotatable with the part 16 are provided with radial or nearly radial slots which consist of the parts 23 forming rotor slots in the central rotor part 16, parts 31 forming slots in one inner rotor side wall 18, and parts 32 forming slots in the other inner rotor side wall 19. The Walls of the mentioned parts of each slot 23, 31, 32, insofar as they are longitudinal walls, are in straight alignment with each other and at least one longitudinal wall of each slot forms a plane guide surface 42 which extends in the axial direction along the width of the rotor and at least the largest part of the slots in the rotor side walls. In these slots the mentioned vanes 1 are slidably mounted, that is, normally one vane in each slot. The vanes are mounted in their respective slots in such a manner that the central part 2 of each vane engages upon that part of the plane guide surface which is located within the central part 16 of the rotor, whereas the axial vane extension 3 engages upon the part of the plane guide surface which is located within the rotor side wall 18 and the axial vane extension 4 engages upon the part of the plane guide surface 41 which is located within the rotor side wall 19 at the other axial end of the rotor.

Vanes 1 are forced radially in the outward direction against the inner surface 22 of the casing 17 either by a spring force or, as in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, by centrifugal force. During the rotation of the rotor, vanes 1 therefore slide peripherally along the inner surface 22 of the casing 17. If, as shown in FIG- URE 8, two pressure Zones and two suction zones are disposed diametrically opposite to each other around the rotor, the parts 33 of the inner surface of casing 17 are located closely adjacent to the outer peripheral surface of the central rotor part 16, while the parts 34 of the inner surface of casing 17 are spaced from the mentioned peripheral surface of the rotor part 16 at a distance corresponding to the radial width of the work chambers. The intermediate parts of the inner surface of casing 17 between the parts 33 and 34 are of a shape so as to insure that vanes 1 will slide gradually inwardly or outwardly of the rotor, that is, without any sudden jumps. During the operation of the machine according to FIG- URE 8 in the clockwise direction, a pressure medium (either a liquid or gas) is supplied or sucked into the work chambers 24 through the connections 25 and channels 28. During the further rotation of the rotor in the same direction, work chambers 24 between two adjacent vanes 1 pass to a position in which they form the work chamber 30 from which the pressure medium is then passed through the channels 27 to the connections 26 and out of the rotary vane machine.

During this time, each vane 1 closes off at least one work chamber, for example, chamber 24 or 30, in the peripheral direction and substantially hermetically relative to the adjacent work chamber by the engagement of the radially outer line or surface along the entire length of the central part 2 of the vane with the inner surface 22, that is, the surface parts 33 or 34 or the intermediate parts between them, so that at least a linear seal is formed between the inner surface 30 of the casing and the central vane part 2. The plane bearing surface 10 of the vane rests upon the mentioned plane guide surface 42 in the central rotor part 16 as well as in the rotor side Walls 18 and 19 and both of these surfaces together form a practically hermetic surface seal. This surface seal is effective between vane 1 and the wall of the rotor slot 23 as well as between the axial vane extensions 3 and 4 and the plane guide surfaces 42 on the walls of the side wall slots 31 and 32. The sealing effect between vanes 1 and the central rotor part 16 and the rotor side .walls 18 and 19 is therefore almost hermetic while between vanes 1 and the casing 17-even though there is only a linear sealthe sealing effect is also very good but not entirely free of leakage losses. Even though a point seal remains between vanes 1, their central part 2, the inner surface of the casing 17, and the plane guide surfaces 42 in the rotor side walls 18 and 19, that is axially on the ends of the linear seal between the central vane part 2 and the casing 17, the leakage losses through the mentioned point seals are relatively so low that if the pressure conditions in the machine are not excessive, the remaining leakage may be taken into account in view of the low cost of the machine and its economy and reliability in operation in all other respects. If the pres sures are less than atm. and the machine is operated by a liquid, its advantages will always far exceed its disadvantages. Only at a liquid operation at pressures of several hundred atmospheres it may sometimes occur that the disadvantages might increase to considerable proportions. Whether or not the machine is to be employed in actual practice at high pressures therefore depends upon the degree of efliciency which is demanded of the machine.

The side wall slots 31 and 32 of the rotor are otherwise closed in the usual manner by the lateral caps 20 and 21 which enclose the rotor side walls 18 and 19' and may be secured to them, for example, by bolts 37. They may, however, also be secured by any other suitable means either to the rotor side walls, the central rotor part, or a central rotor bushing.

As already disclosed in my earlier patents, it is frequently found advisable to make the slots 23, 31, and 32 of a greater width than the vanes 1 so that an additional gap 43 is formed in each slot between vane 1 and the central rotor part 16 or also the rotor side walls 13 and 19. This design has proved successful especially if the machine is liquid-operated, and it only requires vanes of a very simple and inexpensive construction in which it is often not necessary to provide each vane 1 with a second plane bearing surface 11. This reduces the cost of manufacture of the machine and, since due to these wider slots in the rotor the vanes 1 cannot become jammed therein because of an accumulation of dirt or the like, the reliability of operation of the machine is also increased.

By providing each vane 1 with balancing areas, for example, according to FIGURES 5, 6, and 8 or according to FIGURES 3 and 4, there will always be a proper lubrication between the vanes and the inner surfaces of the annular casing 17. Furthermore, the vanes will then be almost entirely free of a radial resultant of the forces of the pressure medium since these forces which are directed radially inwardly and those which are directed radially outwardly in the areas 7 and 9 balance each other entirely or almost entirely. This is true particularly if the balancing areas 7, 8, and 9 are provided along all of the edge surfaces of vane 1. The pressure which then prevails everywhere in the balancing areas 7, 8, and 9 is the same as in the slot in which the vane is located or slidable. If, therefore, the respective slot containing the vane communicates with a high-pressure zone, a high pressure prevails in all balancing areas 7, 8, and 9 in the edge surfaces of the vane. If, on the other hand, the respective slot communicates with a low-pressure Zone, the mentioned balancing areas also contain a low pressure. When the machine is in operation to carry out work, each slot with a vane 1 contained sliding therein passes during each revolution of the rotor at least once through a zone to which the work medium is supplied and at least once through a zone from which the work medium is discharged. If two intake zones and two discharge zones are provided diametrically opposite to each other around the rotor, each slot with the respective vane therein passes during each revolution at least twice through an intake zone and a discharge zone or, if there are differences in pressure between these zones, twice through a zone of a lower pressure and twice through a zone of a higher pressure. The sealing surfaces, sealing line and sealing points-on the vane and its adjacent parts as previously described then seal the mentioned zones relatively to each other. The mentioned balancing areas in the edge surfaces of the vanes result in a proper lubri cation and reduction of friction between the radially outer surface or line of vane 1 and the inner surface 22 of the housing part or casing 17.

In the foregoing, the operation of the machine has been described in which the rotor revolves in the clockwise direction. If the vanes 1 are provided with two plane bearing surfaces 10 and 11 and the slots in both longitudinal walls are provided with guide surfaces, the machine can also operate with the rotor revolving in the opposite direction, that is, in the counterclockwise direction. Furthermore, such a machine may also operate either as a conveying machine, for example, as a pump or compressor, or as a driven machine as a motor, or as a rotation producing machine, for example, as an internal combustion engine, all depending upon the: design of the connections, conduits, the size of the vanes, the rotors, side walls, etc. All of these details depend upon the particular type of construction of the machine without affecting the principles of the design and function of the vanes according to the invention.

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a rotary machine, in combination, rotor means having a rotor axis and including a center portion having radial guide slots open at the periphery of said center portions and two side walls having radially extending closed guide slots registering in axial direction with said open guide slots to form with the same guideways, the axial and radial ends of said guideways being closed by surfaces of said side walls; housing means including an annular casing having an inner surface surrounding said center portion and having the same axial extension, said inner surface being spaced at different distances from said rotor axis, said casing being located between the radially outer portions of said side walls; and a plurality of vanes respectively mounted in said guideways, each vane having a radial extension smaller than the radial extension of said open radial guide slots and of said closed guide slots, an axial length smaller than the axial length of said guideways, and a thickness smaller than the circumferential width of said guideways so as to be movable in said guideways in radial, axial, and circumferential directions, each vane having a planar radially extending bearing face slidingly and sealing by abutting a radially extending face of the respective guideway, each vane having between the ends thereof a radially outer axially extending edge including a straight center edge portion slidingly engaging said inner surface of said casing, and of two end edge portions respectively located in said closed guide slots of said side walls sliding on the same in sealing contact.

2. In a rotary machine, in combination, rotor means having a rotor axis and including a center portion having radial guide slots open at the periphery of said center portions and two side walls having radially extending closed guide slots registering in axial direction with said open guide slots to form with said guideways, the axial and radial ends of said guideways being closed by surfaces of said side walls; housing means including an annular casing having an inner surface surrounding said center portion and having the same axial extension, said inner surface being spaced at diiferent distances from said rotor axis, said casing being located between the radially outer portions of said side walls; and a plurality of vanes respectively mounted in the same guideways for radial movement, each vane having a planar radially extending bearing face slidingly and sealingly abutting a radially extending face of the respective guideway, each vane having between the ends thereof a radially outer axially extending continuous straight edge composed of a straight center edge portion slidingly engaging said inner surface of said casing, and of two straight end edge portions respectively located in said closed guide slots of said side walls sliding on the same in sealing contact, said closed guide slots in said side walls having inner surface portions located in planes extending at right angles to said axis, said vanes having such an axial length that the ends of each vane are spaced from said last-mentioned surface portions of said closed guide slots in said side walls.

3. A rotary vane machine comprising a rotor having a central part and a pair of side walls at both sides of said central part; a housing supporting said rotor for rotation about an axis and including an annular casing surrounding said central part and having an inner surface spaced at different distances from said axis and said central part, said rotor side walls radially overlapping said casing at both sides of said central rotor part along planes extending at right angles to said axis, said rotor having substantially radial slots therein having central slot portions extending along said central part and closed slot end portions extending into said side Walls, and radially upwards in said side Walls at least partially beyond said inner surface of said casing, said slots having at least one plane longitudinal guide face extending substantially over the respective whole longitudinal slot wall; vanes mounted in said slots, each vane having a radial extension smaller than the radial extension of said central slot portions and said closed slot end portions, an axial length smaller than the axial length of said slots, and a thickness smaller than the circumferential width of said slots so as to be movable in said slots in radial, axial, and circumferential directions, each of said vanes having a plane longitudinal bearing face at least at the side facing said plane guide face of the respective slot and adapted to slide substantially radially along the same, a plurality of intervane spaces being formed between said central rotor part, said casing, said rotor side walls, and said vanes and separated from each other by said vanes in the circumferential direction of said rotor, said intervane spaces being adapted to alternately increase and decrease in size during the rotation of said rotor relative to said casing, each of said vanes having an outer straight edge extending in axial direction along the entire length of the vane and including a central edge portion extending along said inner surface of said casing, and two end edge portions located in said slot end portions abutting said plane longitudinal .guide face within said slot end portions and sliding thereon in sealing contact.

4. A rotary vane machine comprising a rotor having a central part and a pair of side walls at both sides of and rigidly connected to said central part, or being integral therewith, a housing part radially surrounding said central part and forming a casing therefor having an inner surface spaced peripherally at different distances from said central part, said rotor side walls at least partially radially overlapping said casing at both ends of said central rotor part within planes extending vertically to the axis of said rotor, said rotor having substantially radial slots therein extending along said central part and at least partly into said side walls, and radially upwards in said side walls at least partially beyond said inner surface of said housing part, having at least one plane longitudinal guide face extending almost over the respective whole longitudinal slot wall, vanes mounted in said slots, each vane having a radial extension smaller than the radial extension of said central slot portions and said closed slot end portions, an axial length smaller than the axial length of said slots, and a thickness smaller than the circumferential width of said slots so as to be movable in said slots in radial, axial, and circumferential directions, each of said vanes having a plane longitudinal bearing face at least at the side facing said plane guide face of said slot and adapted to slide substantially radially along the same, a working chamber being formed between said housing part, rotor and side walls wherein there are a plurality of intervane spaces between said central rotor part, said casing, said rotor side walls, and said vanes are separated from each other by said vanes in the peripheral direction of said rotor, said intervane spaces being adapted alternately to increase and decrease in size during the rotation of said rotor relative to said casing, each of said vanes having a radially outer face facing the radially inner surface of said casing and forming a straight continuous longitudinal surface extending along the entire length of said vane from one axial end of said vane located in one of said rotor side walls through the area of said central rotor part into the other of said rotor side walls to the other axial end of said vane and said radially outer face and said plane longitudinal bearing face of said vane forming together a straight longitudinal outer vane edge abutting said plane longitudinal guide face within said slot and portions and sliding on the same so that during a revolution of said rotor a chamber portion is formed between said radially outer face of said vane and said inner face of said casing communicating with an adjacent intervane space and with parts of said slot end portions located radially outward of said inner face of said casing.

5. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 4 in which said radially outer face of said vane facing the radially inner surface of said casing has such a shape that a longitudinal edge of said vane forming a part of said outer side is in linear engagement with said inner surface of said casing.

6. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 4 in which for attaining said linear engagement with said inner surface of said casing said longitudinal edge of said vane lies within the same plane as said plane longitudinal bearing face of said vane.

7. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 4 in which the radially outer longitudinal side of each vane facing the inner surface of said casing is provided with at least one recess adapted to admit a pressure medium from one of the adjacent work chambers to said longitudinal side but to seal said side relative to the other adjacent work chamber.

8. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 7 in which the radially inner longitudinal side of each vane is also provided with at least one of said recesses.

9. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 7 in which the axial end surfaces of each vane are also provided with said recesses.

10. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 5 in which said radially outer side of said vane forms a beveled surface extending obliquely outwardly toward said plane longitudinal side wall of said vane, said longitudinal edge forming the line of intersection of said longitudinal side wall and said radially outer side of said vane.

11. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 6 in which said vane has a beveled surface also on at least a part of its radially inner side and its two axial end surfaces and also extending obliquely outwardly toward said plane longitudinal side wall of said vane.

12. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 6 having end surfaces limiting said vane in the axial direction and beveled at substantially the same angle as said radially outer side of said vane.

13. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 4 in which said radially outer side of said vane has at least one recess forming two lateral edges alternately adapted to be partially in linear engagement with said radially inner surface of said casing in accordance with the particular rotary position of said rotor relative to said casing.

14. A rotary vane machine as defined in claim 4 in which said vane has plane longitudinal side walls at both sides thereof, and parallel to each other, said radially outer side of said vane forming a trough-shaped recess.

15. A rotary vane machine comprising a rotor having a central part and a pair of side walls respectively rigidly connected to the axial ends of said central part, a housing part radially surrounding said central part and forming an annular casing therefor having an inner surface spaced peripherally at different distances from said central part, said rotor side walls radially overlapping said casing at both sides of said central rotor part within planes extending vertically to the axis of said rotor, said rotor having substantially radial slots therein extending along said central part and at least partly into said side walls, and radially upwards in said side walls at least :partially beyond said inner surface of said housing part, having at least one plane longitudinal guide face extending on the respective longitudinal slot wall, vanes mounted in said slots, each vane having a radial extension smaller than the radial extension of said central slot portions and said closed slot end pontions, an axial length smaller than the axial length of said slots, and a thickness smaller than the circumferential width of said slots so as to be movable in said slots in radial, axial, and circumferential direc tions, each of said vanes having a plane longitudinal bearing face at least at the side facing said plane guide face of said slot and adapted to slide substantially radially along the same, a working charnber'being formed between said housing part, rotor and side walls wherein there are a plurality of intervane spaces intermediate said central rotor part, said casing, said rotor side Walls, and said vanes and separated from each other by said vanes in the peripheral direction of said rotor, said intervane spaces being adapted alternately to increase and decrease in size during the rotation of said rotor relative to said casing, each of said vanes having a radially outer face facing the radially inner surface of said casing and forming a straight continuous longitudinal surface extending along the entire length of said vane from one axial end of said vane, located in one of said rotor side walls References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,303,745 5/1919 Vogan 123-8 1,988,213 1/1935 on 103 136 2,628,568 2/1953 Rhine 103-435 2,684,037 7/1954 Scognamillo 103-136 2,975,716 3/1961 Eickmann 103-l36 3,012,511 12/1961 Adams 103-136 3,102,494 9/1963 Adams 103-136 FOREIGN PATENTS 424,020 3/1911 F-rance.

MARK NEWMAN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH H. BRANSON, 111., KARL J. ALBRECHT,

Examiners. R. M. VARGO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A ROTARY MACHINE, IN COMBINATION, ROTOR MEANS HAVING A ROTOR AXIS AND INCLUDING A CENTER PORTION HAVING RADIAL GUIDE SLOTS OPEN AT THE PERIPHERY OF SAID CENTER PORTIONS AND TWO SIDE WALLS HAVING RADIALLY EXTENDING CLOSED GUIDE SLOTS REGISTERING IN AXIAL DIRECTION WITH SAID OPEN GUIDE SLOTS TO FORM WITH THE SAME GUIDEWAYS, THE AXIAL AND RADIAL ENDS OF SAID GUIDEWAYS BEING CLOSED BY SURFACES OF SAID SIDE WALLS; HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR CASING HAVING AN INNER SURFACE SURROUNDING SAID CENTER PORTION AND HAVING THE SAME AXIAL EXTENSION, SAID INNER SURFACE BEING SPACED AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES FROM SAID ROTOR AXIS, SAID CASING BEING LOCATED BETWEEN THE RADIALLY OUTER PORTION OF SAID SIDE WALLS; AND A PLURALITY OF VANES RESPECTIVELY MOUNTED IN SAID GUIDEWAYS, EACH VANE HAVING A RADIAL EXTENSION SMALLER THAN THE RADIAL EXTENSION OF SAID OPEN RADIAL GUIDE SLOTS AND OF SAID CLOSED GUIDE SLOTS, AN AXIAL LENGTH SMALLER THA THE AXIAL LENGTH OF SAID GUIDEWAYS, AND A THICKNESS SMALLER THAN THE CIRCUMFERENTIAL WIDTH OF SAID GUIDEWAYS SO AS TO BE MOVABLE IN SAID GUIDEWAYS IN RADIAL, AXIAL, AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL DIRECTION, EACH VANE HAVING A PLANAR RADIALLY EXTENDING 